The Rainbow Above the Clouds
by What'dIMiss
Summary: John is a tattoo artist. Alexander stumbles into the shop where he works on a stormy night. It can only get more Lamsy from here. Two-or-three shot. Modern AU. Rated T jic. Yeah. See A/N.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank the folks on the Forum Where It Happens for this. :P I haven't written Alexander for forever so apologies for OOCness if any. I've been RPing John too much. :3**

 **Ugh, this is gonna be a two-shot and I'm not happy about it. Oh well.**

 **Enjoy!**

John took his job as a tattoo artist _very_ seriously.

.

.

.

Got you! He did, but not like that.

John had loved drawing for as long as he could remember. And he was good at it, too. When he was in elementary through high school, he'd draw all over himself in washable marker or pen so it would come off before he came home to his rich and judgemental father. Now, he was in college majoring in graphic design and minoring in biology.

His job at a tattoo shop brought him into contact withsome interesting characters, asking for some strange things. One guy in a magenta suit was drunk when he wandered in and asked for a trail of purple stars along his right bicep. "Y'all better not mess me up. I got more money than you could dream about."

"I'll try my best, Jefferson, but could you maybe shut your mouth?" John had a reputation as a great tattoo artist, but not as the friendliest person. He was often sarcastic and didn't enjoy making conversation when he was busy creating.

One day, however, that changed. A young guy stumbled in while it was raining. "Hi. Is this Blue Star Tattoos?" he asked.

John was busy doing yet another turtle tattoo on himself, this time on the inside of his wrist. He heard the guy's voice, and he looked up.

The man was short, wearing a blue rain jacket he was peeling off to reveal a green hoodie over a red t-shirt. His sneakers were soaked, his black hair tangling slightly. He took off his hood to reveal a face with some light facial hair, and green eyes. "Yeah, what do you want?" John began as he always did.

"I just want a tattoo, no need to be rude."

"Sorry, shortie."

"You're John Laurens? I heard you were the best in New York. And also the rudest."

"Oh, really? Not the first time _I've_ heard it." John went back to his turtle tat.

The young man walked over to John and looked at his arm. John had done many on himself over the time he'd been a tattoo artist, which would be a year in a little while. He only had them on one arm. He wouldn't dare use his non-dominant hand. "Can I get that one?" he asked, pointing to a tattoo that took up John's bicep. It was a black pen, with the colors of the rainbow spewing from the tip and swirling together to spell out 'be free' in fancy script, outlined in black.

John looked at the tattoo. He rolled his sleeve down over it. "You sure?"

The young man nodded. "It's better than the ones displayed on the wall."

John laughed a bit. "Well, I'll try. Can I ask your name?"

"Alexander."

"Alright, Alex, this'll take a while, and it's going to hurt. You cool with that?"

Alexander nodded. He took off his hoodie and found the place where the tattoo would go was covered by his long-sleeve t-shirt. "Um, is it okay if I take my shirt off?"

"Sure, if you want it on your bicep. You don't have to get it there."

"No, I want it there."

"Ok..."

Alex took his shirt off. It revealed more than a few scars, including one on his bicep that extended his entire arm.

John tried not to stare at it, instead focusing on the part of Alex's arm where he would put the tatoo. He got his needle ready, making sure to get out a clean one, filling it with black ink. He told Alex to relax, laying his arm on the chair's arm rest. "I'm going to start."

Alex nodded, closing his eyes.

John began to draw the pen and all the black areas, followed by the rainbow. Alexander was quiet at the beginning. He seemed absolutely relaxed.

It became quiet less you counted than pounding sound of the rain. Alexander's arm tensed up as a clap of thunder ran through the store above the buzz of the needle. "This will only hurt more if you don't relax," John tried to tell him.

Alex shook his head. "No, I can't relax in a thunderstorm."

John sighed. He was nearly done. Still, he put the needle down and stretched. "Can you relax for ten minutes so I can finish?

Alex shifted in the chair. "I don't think so." He now looked more like a child than a grown man, shrinking into himself and covering his bare chest with his knees, an almost innocent look on his face.

John wasn't sure what to do. "I know you just met me an hour ago, but could you at least tell me why you can't let me finish your tattoo?"

"You're right, I'm being stupid. Just finish." Alex was assertive all of a sudden. "I'll get out of your way."

John shook his head in disbelief. "You're not in the way. You're actually much easier to deal with than some of the weirdos who blow in here on rainy nights."

Alex shook his head. "No, it's not worth your time to deal with me. You probably have plenty of friends waiting for you, anyway."

John had his college friends, Hercules and Lafayette. Lafayette was back home in France at the moment, and Hercules was apprenticing at a tailor while also doing some stuff at school in criminal justice. "They're busy," he said.

"Fine. Just finish and I'll get out of your way." Alex held his arm out.

"If that's what you want." John took Alex's arm again, this time holding his hand an extra moment before resting his palm on Alex's forearm. He could feel Alex relaxing at his touch. He continued the design. He added just a few spots of gray behind the rainbow parts.

Once he was done, Alex asked how much it would cost. "I don't exactly have a lot of money. I kind of got a scholarship for school..."

"Don't worry about it." John shrugged.

"Really?"

"But in return, you have to come back. You're probably the first person to walk in here whom I could stand to talk to for more than five minutes. That means something."

"Do we have to meet here? Couldn't we meet somewhere else?"

John shrugged. "There's a park a few blocks from here."

"Sure."

"It's a date, then." John blushed as he said it. He just met this guy.

Alexander also blushed. "I guess so." He got off the chair, put his shirt back on, then his hoodie, and saw that the rain had finally cleared up. He tied his raincoat around his waist. "See you later, Laurens," he said as he stepped out of the shop.

"Until then, Alexander." John waved, cracking a smile.

 **Please review! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ITS DONE PEOPLE *falls to knees* ITS FINALLY DONE**

 **I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted for the Ham fandom. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest points sometimes. Thanks for the patience. :p**

 **Reveiw thanks is at the bottom. It's quite a few names.**

 **Please enjoy!**

A week later.

Alex paced back and forth nervously in front of the entrance to the park. The park wasn't large, just a grassy area with sparse trees and shrubs shading a few picnic tables. John had yet to show his tattooed self and it was getting late. Alex pulled on his shirt collar before shivering a bit. His hoodie was damp.

John finally showed, not close to dressed up in his rumpled, sweaty uniform t-shirt with the tattoo shop logo on the back and the name of the place in white script on the front chest pocket. His jeans were ripped and splattered with what looked like ink or paint, Alex wasn't sure which. His canvas sneakers were covered in drawings and doodles, hair in a quick and messy ponytail. It was chilly, but his blue jacket was tied around his waist so his tattoos were ever-present on his arm. He seemed oddly put together, the way he carried himself as if he just...didn't care.

His hands were in his pockets as he made eye contact with Alex. He didn't smile, just walked over to him with a look of concern upon his face. "You're freezing."

Alex gave him a look. "Really, it's that obvious?" he asked, sighing in defeat.

John offered a smile. "You can take my jacket, it's useless to me right now." He untied it from his waist and offered it to Alex.

Alex reluctantly reached for it but drew back after a moment, shaking his head. "That looks expensive. I'd just ruin it."

"You won't ruin anything. I'm bound to get something on it eventually, you're just speeding up the process." John shrugged and offered it again.

"That...didn't make me feel any better." Alex took the jacket anyway and slid the sleeves on over his arms. It made him feel a bit warmer, though it was enormous on him. He was much smaller than John.

"Come on, let's sit down," John suggested as he began walking over to one of the picnic tables, soon sitting down.

Alexander blinked for a second before hurrying after John. He sat across from him at the picnic table and waited.

They sat in silence for a while, the sounds of the wind rustling leaves and the bustle of the city streets nearby hardly piercing it.

John quietly took a pen out and began to doodle on himself underneath the table. "This must've been a mistake if we're just going to sit here the whole time and not talk..." he mumbled.

"Excuse me? You asked me here. Why do I have to do all the work?" Alex asked, irritated. Normally he enjoyed work, but not when he was on a date.

"I don't like working. Not unless I like what I'm doing. And I tend to let other people talk to me." John shrugged without looking up.

"I don't think you want me doing the talking."

"How else am I supposed to get to know you?" John asked, raising an eyebrow. "Read your thoughts?"

"I tend to go off on tangents..." Alexander admitted.

"Okay...so what?"

"...political tangents."

"Again, so what." John glanced back to his arm, where he'd been working on a little starry design with his pen.

Alexander was taken aback by this lax attitude towards the subject of politics. Nevertheless he took a deep breath and moved on. "So, uh...are you a student?"

"Unfortunately," John replied, not looking up. "I'm on the second year of my master's degree."

"That's cool. I'm still in school as well..."

"What field?"

"Law."

John's mouth curved into a frown. "Ah. Okay." He stood up, putting his pen away. "I don't think I can date you."

"Why not?" Alex asked, confused and also standing up.

"...you wouldn't get it." John started to walk away,

"Wait, but-" Alexander sighed in defeat when John disappeared from the park. It appeared John didn't understand Alexander's position in society. Alex's only goal had been to become a lawyer, get government and make a difference on a little bit of luck, some donated money and good grades. Until now: now it was to figure out this sarcastic, seemingly cold man with tattoos on his arm.

 **Okay so I'm putting review thanks down here: FoxGirl426, Lams4life159, MorganisHamiltrash, Shyablu, Wolfie's Blood, thatwritermadeofpotatoes, and Hamiltrash55.**

 **Please review this chapter and I'll see you next time, whenever that may be!:)**


End file.
